Surprises
by Lou Buggins
Summary: A one-shot inspired by a scene from a comic and a discussion on discord. Raven and Gar are playing a game that leads to trouble. Just fun fluff!


The green changeling smirked evilly as his master plan played over again in his sinister head. It was the perfect plan, one that could only end in his favor. It was actually rather simple, this idea of his, but he was confident in its effectiveness if only he could pull it together until the most opportune time. For timing was everything in this scheme. Remembering this crucial detail, he forced down his giddiness and bit the inside of his cheek as he walked down the hallway with a basket of laundry in his arms.

Doing the laundry wasn't really his style, in fact, he wasn't entirely sure how to even work the washing machine. Luckily, he only needed to pretend to know what he was doing and everything else should fall right into place before he even made it to the laundry room. He knew he had made an enticing target out of himself, with him carrying a mountain of laundry in a flimsy plastic basket and no one else in site. As long as he could make himself seem distracted, he would be delicious bait to the person who had been preying on him mercilessly for over a month. Sure he probably deserved it since he kind of started it, but he still thought he had endured enough torture to justify defensive measures.

It had been over a month ago when he last pulled a prank on the unsuspecting empath. It was an innocent jest, but the woman on the receiving end of his trick was not as forgiving as he had originally thought. All he did was change into a snake and slithered up the back of the couch, where he surprised a very shocked and terrified demoness. She had sensed his mischievous emotions early on but did not expect to see a diamond shaped, scaly head starring right beside her face. Just like he did not expect her to be so afraid of the reptile that she would jump right off the sofa and send a wave of black magic that destroyed every light bulb in the common room. In hindsight, he should have known startling his teammate like that would only bring disaster, but alas, the promise of laughs was too valuable to refuse. If only he had known the monster he had created at that moment.

For only a couple short days after that, he had been in his room playing an intense game of Super Monkeys 4, when he felt the temperature in the room drop and heard the familiar "pop" of a portal opening. It all happened so quickly and so randomly, that he was completely unprepared for the normally soft-spoken, introverted heroine to come jumping out of the portal with an alarming amount of enthusiasm.

"Boo!" She shouted while sticking her face in his and flexing her claws.

The green teen nearly jumped out of his skin as he lost his grip on his controller and went flying into the air. He soared high enough that he shape-shifted into a cat and sunk his claws into the drywall of the roof. His tiny feline body shook and his fur puffed out in a vain attempt to look bigger. His attacker smirked and held back a giggle as she looked up at him with amusement in her violet eyes.

"Hmm…what do you know? This is fun." She said before vanishing through another portal to leave the changeling alone to ponder on the events that had just transpired.

Said events continued throughout the following days. At random moments in the most inconvenient places, Gar would find himself either upside down as a cat or hidden in the shell of a turtle due to the sheer fright the vengeful sorceress would instill on him. Today, this vicious game of cat and mouse would officially change directions in his favor. At the thought of it, his gloved hands clenched the sides of the laundry basket as he carried it along with the utmost care. There was a precious surprise hidden under the laundry mountain in his arms. It was the perfect cover too! For not even the all-knowing, ever-observant empath would be able to spot a perfectly constructed stink ball hiding beneath layers of same dirty laundry used to create it.

His plan was flawless, so long as he could be successful with this final phase. He stopped a good few yards away from her door and began the mental preparations. Once he was ready, he took long strides forward, shaking the basket in his hands and letting out fake sounds of a struggle. He gracelessly stumbles right past her room, being sure to linger outside her door, before continuing on his clumsy path. His heart pounded against his chest, but he forced himself to keep his breathing steady. He went as slow as he could without giving himself away. He waited, ever so carefully, hoping she would take the bait. Of course, he had made it to the end of the hall with his guard beginning to lower as he began to accept his failure when his pointed ears twitched at the familiar popping sound. His hand dove into the pile of dirty clothes and his fingers sunk into the smelly stink ball inside. He yanked it out of its hiding place, sending the clothes pile to crumble. Dropping the basket, he spun around with the filthy projectile clutched in his claws and held up over his head, ready to be fired.

The dark beauty that was now in front of him had her hands up as she was about to make her sarcastic remark regarding his reaction, but upon noticing the item in his hand, she became frozen in time. Both parties stood still as if someone had pressed the pause button on their lives. It was the first time she noticed the faint dusting of freckles painted across his cheeks and nose. His breath was like a warm blanket wrapping around her face. For him, it was her eyes that had caught his own gaze. Like an endless void that sucked him in, so dark and deep, flowing like a lilac river with twists and turns that continued into a mysterious mauve beyond. And like an adventurer attracted to the unknowing, he found himself drawn to excavate this newfound territory.

The rolled up heap of scum in his hand fell to the floor with a noticeable "thump," as he leaned forward only an inch and caught her unsuspecting lips in a quick kiss. Her eyes stayed opened as she looked past him and stared down the empty hall, her body still stuck in place. It was just a peck of his lips before he pulled away and dashed down the hall. His laundry and the remains of his plan being abandoned on the floor. She stood there for another moment longer, then carefully used her fingertips to graze the spot where his mouth had just been. The warmth he had left still tingling her lips.

The jade-skinned boy hurtled him into the safety of his room and hide in the form of a cat under his bed. He waited there for some time, wondering if it will ever be safe for him to return. Then he heard the dreaded popping noise and saw the small blue boots appear through the crack between the bed and the floor. His heart stopped and he held his breath.

"You forgot something." Her voice rang out in its typical drawl, then suddenly a round-shaped object block his vision. Before he could react, the said object came barreling toward him. He let out a yowl as his own laundry and garbage smacked his head and covered him from head to tail.

"Better luck next time." She said in a steady voice, but he could practically _hear_ the smirk on her face as her blue boots disappeared for good.

A growl rose in his throat as his anger boiled inside him. His anger was mostly directed at himself, however, as it was his fault the plan did not go as predicted. Although, maybe it was her fault after all? Did Raven possess the power of enchantment? Was it a spell of her making that had clouded his judgment, and made him act so impulsively?

Who knows, the world is certainly filled with surprises.


End file.
